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by mhigginscmo

03 Nov 2016

2734

As you may know, Chicago Music Organization is an endeavor of the folks at Elastic Arts. We’ve recently reconnected to our roots at Elastic and re-oriented our organizational focus around local, DIY, experimental, and otherwise underground music happening in the city. Sam Lewis, one of Elastic’s Directors, is a wealth of knowledge about such events. He recently gave Do312 a peek into his November music calendar...

by Cycy McAlpin

08 Aug 2016

1775

Brian Jantz marched down the hallway of the hospital with his guitar, accompanying a 4-year-old oncology patient with a maraca and a drum. He remembers they were singing their own creative version of “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” The girl had been anxious about an upcoming X-ray, he said, and resisted going to the procedure. Hospital staff paged Jantz to help. He kept the music going even...

by Cycy McAlpin

21 Jul 2016

1639

Do you have great music and want to score a record deal? Or have you always wondered how artists got through to big labels and ended up getting signed? In this post I will teach you my foolproof method for scoring a record label deal. It’s a little unconventional and it requires hard work, but it sure as hell works. With this approach I have...

by Cycy McAlpin

21 Jul 2016

1653

Summer is in full swing and that means we’re well into music festival season. With that in mind, I’ve put together a music festival survival guide containing some not so obvious tips, but before we dive in, I’m working on the assumption that you’re going to be smart and pack along the obvious things like sunscreen, cash etc. Take a hat Easily overlooked, but packing a...

by ghernandezcmo

21 Jul 2016

1940

Violins can last for hundreds of years, but that is only with good care. Maintaining your instrument can help maintain its tone, stability, and ultimately its market value. Sometimes we are not taught important information about our instrument, we forget some very important things, or we get lazy with taking care of our violin. Here are 21 expert tips to take better care of your...

by ghernandezcmo

20 Jul 2016

2259

I have had the privilege of sitting as a judge on the largest annual Band Competition in Finland. It has 200 bands attending every year, and I’ve been part of the judging panel since 2005. The competition is aimed at unsigned bands, and is open to anyone. The entrants are picked in the order of entry submissions, so the bands are not required to have...

by KatlyneCMO

21 Mar 2016

2111

Traveling is great, but the wear and tear of the road can completely destroy guitars. Although guitars have a reputation as rough-and-ready instruments that you can take anywhere, they are actually quite delicate. Not only can they easily get dented or scratched from a bumpy ride in a trunk or airline luggage apartment, but they are also very sensitive to changes in temperature, pressure and...

by KatlyneCMO

18 Mar 2016

3196

A beginner’s guide to quick-and-dirty music video production If you’re like most DIY musicians, there’s probably not a whole lot of extra cash left in the band’s bank account after shelling out for recording, mixing, mastering, duplication, registering your copyrights, and distribution. But you still have to promote your new record, right? These days a music video is practically required in order to properly promote...

by KatlyneCMO

18 Mar 2016

2495

Face it: once your career gets to a certain level, you’re going to need a manager. That word scares some musicians, and while it’s tough to find the perfect one, it’s going to be necessary. Many artists just starting out are aware that having a manager is important, but they don’t quite know what that role is responsible for. This is a person that you’ll be working closely...

by KatlyneCMO

18 Mar 2016

2091

Having an intimate relationship with your fans is important because it shows you are human. The internet has become a powerful tool and weapon. In some cases it is a sword while others it is a shield. Staying grounded lets your fans know that you’re a regular person and don’t take them for granted. Here are some ways to stay in touch with them. Email...